Automatic device for corn-planters.



1). w. MdPROU D.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CORN PLANTBRS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 10, 1912.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

3 SHBETS-SHEET l.

Snow V607 amal m/g cowmam PLANOGRAPH C0..\VASHI1\G 1). W. MOPROUD.

AUTOMATIGJDEVICE' FOR 001m PLANTERS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 10, 1912.

1,073,269. Patented Sept; 16,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D. W. Mc'PROUD.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR CORN PLANTERS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 10, 1912.

Patented Sepfi 16, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

I 2k 1 65L PATENT orrro.

DAVID W. MoI-ROUD, OF FARMLAND, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC :onvron non. CORN-PLANTERS.

in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. a

This invention relates to an automatic attachment for corn planters.

It is the aim of the invention to provide an attachment, by the use of which on a corn planter, the chain or wire used for checking the corn is eliminated, thereby obviating the necessity of the operator dismounting the'planter at each end of the field to stretch the chain or wire.

As a further object of the invention, it is the aim to provide markers for marking just where the corn or other seed is planted, adapting the same as a guide to plant the adjacent rows.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a guide 70 in starting planters.

Another object of the invention by the use of the aforesaid attachment or device, is to render the corn planter operative at all times, without the operator leaving the machine, thus saving time and facilitating the planting of corn, as well as making it easier to operate,

As a further object of the invention, means are provided for adjusting the marker.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means whereby the distance between each hill of corn may bevaried if desired.

In practical fields it maybe found necessary to subject details of construction to alterations, to which the patentee is entitled, provided the alterations fall within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved device or attachment, as applied to a corn planter. Fig. 2 is a plan View. Fig. 3 is a longitudi- Specification of "Letters Patent.

Application filed August 10, 1912.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913. Serial No. 714,465.

nal sectional view of the machine on line 22 of Fig. 2, showing the: parts in elevation. Fig. 4: is a sectional view on line 4% of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5+5 of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the side of one of the markers, showing how .the shovelis adjustably connected thereto. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 6.; Fig. 9 is adetail view. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the angle member, which is adapted to be rocked for operating the markers and at the same time opening the drop of the planters causing corn. to be deposited at the same time the shovels gouge the soil; Fig. 11 isa detail view of the pedal, whereby the lever-shown in Fig. 9 may beactuated. Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing how the rows of corn are planted.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a frame, in bearings of which a shaft 2 is journaled having wheels 13. Also mounted upon the shaft or axle 2 is a drive gear 4., which meshes with the gear 5, mounted upon the stub shaft 6 carried by the frame 1. The drive gear 4-. is provided with a clutch 7 with which the clutch member 8 is adapted to engage for throwing the drive gear in gear with the shaft or axle 2. The drive gear 4 is loosely mounted upon the shaft or axle 2, while the clutch member 8 is keyed thereto as at 9. The lever 10 pivoted at 11 to a projection of the frame 1 is provided for throwing the clutch member 8.

The gear 5 is provided with an arm 13 having a laterally extending lug 14. The frame 1' is constructed with a transversely disposed beam 15, upon which the seed or grain receptacles 16 are supported. The bottoms of the grain receptacles are provided with openings 17, from which passsages 18 lead, as shown in Fig. 4. These passages 18, there only being one shown as in Fig. 4:, communicate with the passages 19 of the boots 20, so that the seed or corn may pass therethrough. Mounted in each of the receptacles is a plate 21 having a single opening 22, which registers With the opening 17 of the bottom of each receptacle.

lievoluble between each plate 21 and each bottom of each receptacle is a feed plate 23 having a plurality of openings 2 as shown in Figs. land 5,, which register with the openings" 17 and 22, as the plate 23 is rotated, thereby permitting the corn or 1 other grain to feed to the boots. Mounted in bearings 26 of the beam 15 is .a shaft 27, upon each end of which, there only be;

ing one shown, however, is a gear 28,

as shown in Fig. 4, which engages the teetn 29 of the plate or disk 23, wherebythe by the feed plates may be operated. The.

sprocket 32 as shown in Fig. 2 rotates with a sleeve 4: of the gear 4, which sleeve, the clutch member 7 .and'the sprocket wheel on the sleeve all rotate as one body loosely on However, when the the shaft or axle 2. clutch member 8 (which is keyed to the axle 2) is thrown in clutch with the meniher 7, the wheels 3, the axle 2, the gear l including both of the clutch members and the sprocket wheel 32 all rotate as one body. It will be seen that just so soon as the clutch members are thrown in clutch, the chain 31, which passes about the sprocket wheel 32 will impart motion to the shaft 27, in order to constantly. operate the feed mechanism. Although the feed mechanism is illustrated and described, it is to be remembered that the same forms no part of the present invention. It is also to be understood that this f ed mechanism may be any suitable structure.

Mounted in brackets 33 of the beam 15,

and extending parallel with but a slight distance below the beam 15 is a rocking rod 34, the reduced portions 01 which are mounted in the boots or tubes adjacent their upper ends, as show-n in Fig. 1. The re duced portions are provided with cut-off disks 35, for checking or cutting oft the flow of grain or corn through the passages 18 and 19. Parts of the reduced portions are rectangular in cross section, as shown at 36,- and mounted. on one of said rectangular portions is an arm member 37. Also upon the reduced portions, as shown in Fig. 10, are the arms 38 constructed with slots 39. To the horizontal arm member 3'7 an extension arm 40 is adjustably connected by aslot and bolts 4-1 and is constructed with an upwardly inclined portion 42, adapted to be contacted with by the lateral lug 14}, whereby the arm 37 is actuated upwardly,

. so as to rock the rod or shaft 34, and owing to the cut-ofis being movable with the shaft connect between the marker bars and. the

20, by way of the registering of the open ings 2 1 with the openings 17 and 22. As the seed is dropped into the boot or tube, it is checked the cut-cit or valve 35, which.

is at intervals or intermittently tripped,

bythe lug 14 actuating the arm 37"upwardly, to bill drop, the arms 38 moving in such wise as to also Operate the markers downwardly to gouge the soil.

When the lateral lug or pm pletely passed theincliined portion 42 of the extension area 410, and the L'arm member 37 has assumed its normal. position, with the shovels 44 raised, the ,icutpfls are closed.

The shovels-(i4; gouge the soilon theouts'ide of boots of planter just simply toindicate where, seed was deposited, after which-the wheels of planter covers the grain, and by so doing, the place where the corn is planted is marked. to the, marker bars 47, the end portions of which are provided with enlargement-s 48, as shown in Fig. 6,. These enlargements 48 are constructed with a plurality of apertures L9, any one of which are designed. to receive the pin .50, which. passes through the apertures 51 of the ears 52 of the shovels, in order to hold the shovels in adjusted positions. These pins 5.0'are to be made .of-wood or other fiber, so that in case the shovels come in contact with an obstruction, the pin will break, instead ofstraining the various parts of the machine. In this case a new pin may be easily substituted. .The marker. bars 47 are constructed in two sections 53 and 54, held together by slot and boltcon nections 5.5}and 5,6. In thismannerthe section 53 may be extended, so that the locality oi": the shovels may be changed. tions 54 of the marker bars at their forward end portions terminate in angle ends 58, which are provided with a series of aper- 14:v has com-.

The shovels 4 1 are pivoted vat l6 The sec;

llO

tures 59, any one of which receives the pin,

60, which connects the bars .61 to, the angle ends. ,The rear lower ends ot the bars 61 are provided with notches 62, and are eX-' tended through the .slots39 of the arms 38', so that the notches will engage thetransverse portions 63. When'the' angular-mem bers 37 are rocked, the bars 61 pulled or moved in the directionof the arrow ea, so as to throw the marker bars including the shovels downwardly, so that the shovels will gouge the soil and make furrows. By the provision of the apertures 59 and the pins.

60, the throw ofthe marker bars may be increased or decreased. .lVhen the marker bars are thrown downwardly, the springs are put under tension. These springs 65.

arms 66'. These springs are to be of sufiicient strength to not only raise the marker bars, but also return the'angular members 37 to their initial positions. Thearms 66 are adjustably secured upon. the rods 67 by the set screws 68, so-thatthe tension of the springs may be increased'or decreased. The rods 67 are mountedin bearings 68 of the frame of the machine. To adjust the arms 66 they are to be swung vertically on the rods, and then tightened by the set screws 68. Mounted in supports 7 2 is a rocking rod 73, to which the levers 74 are held by the'pins 75. These levers lower hooked ends the bars 61, so that when the shaft 73 is rocked, the arms 74 will in turn be moved, so as to disconnect the-notches from the transverse portions .63 of 'thearms 38. Mounted in bearings 77 of theframe 1 is a rocking rod 78, to which thepedal 79 isfix eda hen thepedal 79 is depressed, it will be rocked, which, in turn, will pull theconnecting bar 80, which connects at one end to the arm 81 of the pedal 78, and at the other end to the arm 82 of the rods 73. r

In order to plant corn or to hill drop the seed, without marking where the corn is planted, the operator may operate the pedals 79 in such wise as to pull upon the rod 80, and through the connection of the rod 80 to the arm 82 of the shaft'73, the shaft 73 will be rocked in such a manner as to throw the lower or hooked ends 76 toward the boots or tubes, which will disconnect the notches 62 of the bars 61 from thetransverse portions 63 of the arms 38. After the arms 38 have been tilted or moved toward the boots or tubes, tothepositions as shown in Fig. 3, the'pedals 79 may be operated in a reverse direction, which will throw the lower or hooked ends 76 of the levers 74 away from the tubes or boots, to the positions shown in Fig. 3, thereby permitting the bars 61 to assume the'positions disclosed in Fig. 3, out of connection with the arms 38. In this manner the seed is planted, without marking the location. To reconnect the bars 61 to the arms 38, the levers 74 may be oscillated toward the boot, which will raise the bar 61, in such positions, as to allow their notched ends to be. received through the slots 39 of the arms 38,. and

then when the arms 38-are in their normal positions, the lever 74 may be moved only slightly in a direction away from the boots, in which case the notch 62 will engage the transverse portion 63 of'the arms 38. Then the bars 61 and the arms 38 are disconnected the seed or corn isdropped or planted in" spaced apart hills.

The. arm 37 and the extension arm 40 are so constructed, arranged and weighted that when the bars 61 and arms 38 are die- 42 of the extension arm 74 are provided with 76, which engage under.

. cured by any connected, the arm 37 and extension arm the path of the laterally projecting lug 14,

so that the machine will hill-drop, and Without marking. It is the purpose of this machine to hill-drop, regardless of whether or not the rows are marked, but if at any time it is desired, to drill, the inclined portion 40 may be held out of the path of the lug 14, in any suitable manner, thereby holding the cut-off disks 35 continually opened. In this manner the machine may be used for drilling, as well as hill-dropping. However, as in the first instance, every time the upwardly inclined portion 42 falls back in the path of the lug 14, the cut-oit disks 35 are closed, so as to collect a certain amount of seed, and as the extension arm 40 is tilted, the cutoff disks are open, thereby allowing the collection of seed to drop. When planting corn, the parts of the machine are adjusted as desired, and

then the same is driven forward, and when the clutch mechanism is thrown, so that the gear 4 and sprocket 32 will rotate with the 'wheels 3, motion will be imparted tothe gear 5, In this manner the lug or pin 14 is brought intermittently in contact with the inclined surface 42 of the extension arm 40, so as to actuate the arm members 37 and the shaft 34.

It will be noted the feed plates operate constantly dropping seed into the tube or boot, where it is checked by the valve or cut-off 35, which is intermittently tripped, by the pin or lug 14 contacting with the extension of the arm 37, to hill drop, the

tripper arm 38 also operating the marker,

the shovels of which gouge the soil. Upon the return of the arm 37 and the tripper arms 38 to their normal position, the cutoffs or valves 35 are closed, and the markers raised. Two rows of corn are planted at one time, as shown in Fig. 12, and when the two rows 0 and d are being planted, the machine moving in the direction of the arrow 83, the member 70 is projecting to engage the rows a and 6 previously planted, and when the rows 6 and are being planted, the machine still moving in the same direction, as indicated by the arrow 85, the member 70 is projecting to engage the rows 0 and (Z,

and so on until the entire field of corn planted,'unless the said members 70 and 70 are thrown up. The members 70 and 70 are long enough to engage the rows as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby the machine may be guided. These members 70 and 70 are carried by sliding collars 71, which are se suitable means (not shown) on the rods 67.

In starting the planter, set the same with guiding fingers 70 and 7 0 in the furrows or gouges made by markers. As the machine moves forward and the clutch is thrown in gear, it will impart motion to the gear 4; and sprocket 32, which in turn imparts motion to the gear ;5, until the pin 14 comes in contact with the inclined portion -12 of the arm 40., thereby opening the cut-offs, so that the grain will be w(:leposited. The guiding fingers can be thrown to vertical positions, if desired, by means of a hook tor wire carried by the operator, so as to prevent thefmgers tnomcoming in contact with any obstruction, that may be in their path.

Fro-in the foregoing, it will be noted that there has been produced a novel form of attachment or device applicable to corn planters, and one which has been found particularly desirable and practical, because of the elimination of the use of a wire or chain, and, furthermore, obviating the necessity of the operator dismounting from the cor-n planter to string a check wire or chain.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. I11 combination with a corn planter including a feed mechanism and grain boots, cut-offs in the boots, yieldably supported markers, and means adapted to simultaneously actuate the markers and open the cutoiis at intervals during the actuation of the feeding mechanism, the yieldably supported markers constituting means to return the first means to its normal position to close the cut-ofts, and a mechanism for throwing the markers out of operation.

2. In combination with a corn planter including a feed mechanism and grain boots, cut-ofis 1n the gram boots, yleldably sup-v ported marker bars having shovels to gouge the soil, members adapted to be actuated to open the cut-,oflis at intervals during the feed, connections between the marker bars and the members whereby the marker bars are actuated simultaneously with the opening of the cut-oils, the yieldably supported marker bars and their connections with the members constituting means to return said members to their normal positions to close the curt-offs, and a mechanism adapted to be actuated to disconnect the connection from the members to throw the marker bars out ofoperation.

'3. In combination with a corn planter including a feed mechanism and grain boots, cutoffs in the grain boots, yieldably supported marker bars having shovels to gouge the soil, members adapted to be actuated to open the cut-ofi's at intervals during theaction of the feed mechanism, connections between the marker bars and the members whereby the marker bars are ac-- tuated simultaneously with the opening of the cut-offs, the yieldably supported marker bars and their connections with the members constituting means to return said mom hers to their normal positions to close sthe cut-on s, and fingers adapted to engage said connections, thereby constituting disengag' ing means for the markers.

4:. In combination with a corn planter ineluding a feed mechanism and grain boots,

cut-offs in the grain boots, pivoted marker bars having shovels to gouge the soil, yielding means to support the marker bars, mem here, .one oat which is provided with an extension arm and adapted tobe actuated to open the cut-ofts at intervals during the actuation of the feed mechanism, each marker bar having a connection with a memberwhereby the marker bars may be actuated simultaneously with the opening of the cut offs, the yielding means and the connections combined constituting means for returning the membersto their normal 7 positions to close the cut-offs.

i 5. In combination with a corn planter in cluding a feed mechanism and grain boots, cut-offs in the grain boots, pivoted sectional adiustahle marker bars having yielding means to support the marker bars in upper positions, a rockable device having members provided with slot-ted arms, said members 7 adapted to be actuated to open the cut ofis at intervals during the actuation vof the feed mechanism, connections between the marker bars and the slotted arms whereby: the marker barsmay be actuated simultaneously with the opening of the cut-ofis, the yielding means and the connection constituting means to return the members to their nors mal positions to close the cut-off.

6. In combination with a corn planter including a feed mechanism and grain boots, cut=ofi's in the grain boots, pivoted sectional adjustable marker bars having yielding means to support the marker bars in upper positions, a rockable device having members and provided with slotted arms, said members adapted'to be act-uated'to open the cut oli-s at intervals during the actuation of the feed mechanism, connections between the marker bars and the slotted arms whereby the marker bars may be actuated simultane- V ously with the opening of the cut-ofi's, the yielding means and the connection constituting means to return the members to their normal positions to close the cut-ofi', and a marker bars out of operation. 7

7. In combination with a corn planter including' a feed mechanism and'grain boots,

provided with an adjustable extension arm,

and adapted to be actuated to open the cut oils at intervals during the actuation ofthe' feed mechanism, means having adjustable 'mechanism for disconnecting the CODIIQC- ti-ons'with the slotted arms to throw the connections with the marker bars and connected to the members, whereby when the members are actuated, the marker bars will be thrown downwardly simultaneously with the opening of the cut-ofis, yieldable means to support the marker bars, and constituting means combined with the adjustable connecting means to return said members to their normal positions to' close the cut-ofis,

10 and a mechanism for disconnecting the first mentioned means from said members to throw the marker bars out of operation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID W.,M0PROUD.

W'itnesses:

PAUL R. MOORE, TASWELL G. RAPE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

